Chicago-Kent College of Law
Illinois Institute of Technology
Conflict of Laws
Dean Henry H. Perritt, Jr.
hperritt@kentlaw.edu
312.906.5010
Spring, 2001 (revised 4/30/01)



 




Date Subject Casebook pages Notes or comments
  Traditional approaches    
16 Jan Overview; torts, contracts 1-19 read Introduction to Conflicts

Dowloadable Word file with Introduction to conflicts
18 Jan Property, public policy 20-40 Hypos for class
  Escape devices    
22 Jan Renvoi 41-52 "Renvoi discussion" 
 

Diagram for use in class
Copy of Powerpoint slides
23 Jan Characterization & assignment to working groups 52-66  
25 Jan Meet with working group   Read “Special Exercises” from Web page;
29 Jan Meet with working group   Leader files report on listserv 
 

"Spring2001-371001@kentlaw.edu"
30 Jan no class    
1 Feb no class    
5 Feb Substance v. Procedure 66-75  
6 Feb Statutes of Limitation 91-101 Supp. pp 59-60
       
  Modern torts    
8 Feb Range 103-129  
12 Feb -continued same  
13 Feb Neumeier, etc 181-205  
15 Feb Is Neumeier the answer? 205-225 Restatement (Second) section 6

Restatement section 145

See also Illinois cases: Esser v. McIntyre, 661 N.E.2d 1138 (Ill. 1996); Coats v. Hertz Corp., 695 N.E.2d 76 (Ill. Ct. App. 1998) 
  Erie    
19 Feb Erie
 

Virtual class (optional); class will meet in the regular room)

 431-454 Supp. pp 61-64 
 

Conformity Act
20 Feb Problems in applying Erie 
 

Virtual class (class will meet virtually)

 454-481 Supp. pp 65-76
22 Feb Working group meeting   Mid-semester problem for working groups
  Contracts - modern    
26 Feb Choice of Law 231-255 Supp. pp 55, 57 

Restatement sec. 186

Restatement sec. 187

Restatement sec. 188
27 Feb Party autonomy 256-277 Supp. pp 44-54
1 Mar Choice of forum 290-311 Supp. pp 57-58 

 optional: 

Restatement (Second) sec. 80

Ill. Yamada case

Ill. Williams case
5 Mar Agreements to arbitrate  312-336

New York Convention;

Domain agreement

Domain dispute resolution
6 Mar Midterm Review    
  Jurisdiction    
8 Mar World Wide Volkswagen 531-558 Supp. p 24 (Fed.
10 Mar –18 Mar Spring break    
19 Mar no class    
20 Mar International controversies 559-577 Read voteauction.com writeup
22 Mar Property as basis (in rem jurisdiction) 578-619 15 U.S.C. sec. 1125 (jurisdictional provisions) Caesars World (optional)
26 Mar European Community concepts  620-635
 
  Constitutional restrictions on choice of law    
27 Mar Obligation to provide forum for transitory actions 367-380 1 hr makeup + regular class
27 Mar Allstate 401-420 1 hr makeup + regular class
29 Mar After Allstate 421-430 1 hr makeup + regular class
29 Mar Distinguishing and unifying personal jurisdiction and constitutional choice of law analysis review Asahi & Burnham in light of Allstate and after 1 hr makeup + regular class
29 Mar Choice of law for corporation law issues

Restatement section 296

section 297

section 298

section 313

 1 hr makeup + regular class
  Recognition & enforcement of judgments    
2 Apr Full faith and credit I

637-646

Supp. pp 91-92; Semtek case

 1 hr makeup + regular class;
3 Apr no class    
5 Apr Full faith and credit II 663-683 1 hr makeup + regular class
5 Apr Foreign country judgments 684-717 Supp. pp 93-95; Texas due process case, mentioned in class
9 Apr no class      
10 Apr Foreign country judgments - II  

French court order - .pdf; French court order - .html

Yahoo California cplt

 (optional) German case - machine translated by altavista.com
12 Apr Treaty bases for recognition 718-746 Supp. pp 98-132
12 Apr Draft Hague Convention   Hague Convention - Oct. 1999 draft - local copy 1 hr makeup + regular class
       
  Family Law    
 16 Apr Divorce 779-792 Supp. pp 136-145
17 Apr Child Custody  825-844 Supp. pp 170-183 
19 Apr no class    
23 Apr no class    
24 Apr International problems 845-853 Supp. pp 184-196 
Recorded lecture
26 Apr Same sex marriages - policy conflicts 862-868

Vermont decision

1 hr makeup + regular class
  International conflicts    
26 Apr Pinochet Materials linked
- read "second House of Lords opinion"; listen to audio		 2nd hour of makeup + regular class
30 Apr Basics 962-969 (Hartford Fire) Restatement (Second) of Foreign Relations Law of the United States sec. 401, intro. to prescriptive juris, sec. 402, sec. 403
1 May Final Review   Makeup: Dean's conference room; 1:55-2:50
       

 Notes:

Casebook is Andreas F. Lowenfeld, Conflict of Laws (2d ed. 1998); "Supp." refers to documentary supplement to casebook.

You must come to class and be prepared. Final grades in the course will be based on a combination of the grade on a three hour final examination, evaluation of team-leader or team-member performance as explained in the “special exercises” posting, quality of analysis of real world transnational business problem, and regular class attendance and participation. Attendance and participation requirements apply to virtual classes as well as to traditional classes. Repeated absenteeism will result in exclusion from the class and a failing grade.

You should regularly consult the electronic syllabus, to be found at www.kentlaw.edu/perritt/conflicts

From time to time supplementary material and at least one "virtual" class will be available through this Web site.

A three-hour final examination will be scheduled during the regular examination period. You may bring any materials, whether commercially prepared or not, and you may use a computer to write the examination, under the Chicago-Kent rules applicable to computer-administered exams.